Chicken With Figs and Olives

I love to make exciting fancy dinners. Sometimes. The problem is, it usually leaves me with a whole pile of dirty pots and pans with a trail of herbs and paper towels on my counter and mysterious bits of food sticking to the floor. That, I do not love. Not one bit. The best part of this recipe is that you use quality super flavorful ingredients and only two pots and it’s still pretty fancy. Hello. Win win here!

Now about the figs (which I’m sure some of you are wondering about). For some reason, they really excite me. The way they caramelize under high heat is really deliciously incredible. So when I see them in the market I’m like, “Yay! Figs!” That’s exactly what happened the other day and I picked a box up. Then I was like, “Okay, now what do I do with them?!” So I started flavor pairing and somehow the dish came together while I was giving my daughter a bath. I purchased a few more ingredients the next day and patchked around in the kitchen.

When hubby came home from the gym he was so impressed with the elegance of the dish when really all I did was toss it together while munching on the remainder of the olives and chatting to my mom and dad on the phone. Boom! Super wifey. Oh and a pot of that 5 minute couscous to go underneath. Simple elegance. ‘‘Nuff said.

Balsamic fig and olive roasted chicken:

Ingredients:3 chicken legs1 tsp olive oilSalt and pepper for sprinkling1 shallot sliced2 garlic cloves sliced6 figs sliced in half (preferably black mission figs)1/2-1 c pitted Israeli green olives (my favorite are the kvuzat yavne brand)1 sprig rosemary1/2 c balsamic vinegarDirections:Preheat your oven to 400F1. Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven or large frying pan.2. Sprinkle the chicken legs with salt and pepper3. Sauté the chicken until the skin is crispy and golden and then flip over for 2 minutes.4. Remove the chicken from the pot and place on a clean cutting board.5. Pour the balsamic vinegar in a small pot and reduce on a high flame for 3-5 minutes until it has thickened. Watch it carefully so that it doesn’t burn!6. Sauté the shallots and garlic until softened 2-3 minutes.7. Place the chicken back in the pot and toss in the figs, olives, and rosemary. 8. Brush the chicken with the balsamic reduction.9. Place in the oven for 35-40 minutes. (I like mine to go a little longer to get that roasted look) 10. Enjoy with a plate of couscous

Share this:

Like this:

Post navigation

Welcome to my blog. My name is Sara Goldstein, and I am half the madness behind Tomatoes Tomahtos. My serious culinary path began back in 2012 when I went to culinary school in the beautiful city of Jerusalem. I trained in classic French cuisine, with an Israeli kick.....